An old tired soul
by gladitor118
Summary: A short story about remembering


"Ever since I fell down there something has consistently felt...different." She stared up at the ceiling of her room, thoughtlessly tossing a hackey-sack up towards the ceiling from her comfy position laying on the bed. "Its not all the time, it comes and goes but if I want to I can always feel it there. Sometimes its a voice, or a sensation but I can always feel it." She spoke to her mother, well her adopted mother. The kindly goat woman sat by the bedside on a wooden rocking chair that had been used many times before to tell stories and recite snail facts as she had grown up.

A voice?" She looks curiously at her child. It had been nearly half a decade since they had escaped through the barrier, though Frisk still refused to tell her how she had managed it. What made her curious was that she was just mentioning this now after all this time.

"Yeah a voice, it tells me things... and sometimes when I look in the mirror I can see a red tint in my eyes but then its gone before I can really look at it. I kept feeling like I was imagining it or it was my own brain being weird but some of the things it says..."

"Please tell me what does it say my child?"

"Well, it just tells me things, like 'i'm glad you're happy.' Or 'things could have been different.' weirdly it seems to pop up the most when i'm cutting something or picking flowers." Her face turns thoughtful. "'Don't do what I did, and buttercups don't taste like butter.' I think that's the weirdest thing I've heard it say." To her surprise Toriel's face had turned to one of sadness at this. "Hey, mom what's wrong?"

"Nothing my child its just, that reminds me of something, or someone from long ago." She shakes her head slowly her smile returning as if shaking off the bitter part of what she had remembered. The first human child that she had failed to protect.

That face reminded her of some other things it had said to her. "It talks about you too, it really seems to care about you."

Toriel's heart sunk. Out of all the things she had done in her life. Giving up her kingdom, confining herself to the ruins, nothing at all compared to what she felt when she held her daughters hand at the end, when she saw the light ebb from her strange but beautiful red eyes. The memories couldn't be held back at this point. "I-I am sorry Frisk I remembered that I have some things I must do." with that she pat her head and stood up, turning towards the door. "Have a good nights sleep, I will see you in the morning when the sun rises." Through her grief it was still wonderful that she could say that. It wasn't all so bad, in the end they had escaped the underground after all and her daughter was the reason behind everything.

"Okay, goodnight mommy. Oh one more thing, she says she's sorry." Frisk conveyed the little message with little idea of the real reason that the voice had wanted to convey it. She did quickly see though that Toriel had some idea, as she put a hand over her the end of her muzzle.

It wasn't just similar to the old child she had once known, it was her, it had to be. The realization brought pangs of both joy and deep sadness to her heart. She turned around and faced Frisk again. The similarities between their features were uncanny. She felt that if Frisk were to just open her eyes wider she would easily see the familiar tint. She tried to speak but found she couldn't as the hot tears rolled down her cheeks matting her fur where they passed. Finally she calmed down enough to speak, glad at Frisks patience in waiting. She was always so good at sensing people emotions and just how to handle them. Its what made her such a great ambassador for their species. "Y-You do not need to worry about that voice my child. It is just..." She hesitated for a moment unsure of how to continue. She remembered all the time that had passed, how long ago and yet here she was right in front of her again as if nothing had ever happened. "She is just an old tired soul." She finally finished, kneeling down and hugged her daughters, though she only felt the body of one she could feel the presence of both. "It is okay, now goodnight my child, I love you." though this time she knew she was speaking to one long gone as well.

Tears streamed down Frisks face in a welling of emotion, and though she felt the love for her mother she couldn't understand why she was crying.


End file.
